Amikacin once daily plus metronidazole versus amikacin twice daily plus metronidazole in colorectal surgery.

Amikacin administered once a day plus metronidazole is compared with amikacin given twice a day plus metronidazole in colorectal surgery (prophylactic or therapeutic antibiotic treatment). A total of 325 patients were studied in this randomized multicenter trial. The results of this trial suggest that a single daily dose of amikacin is equally as effective in combating infectious postoperative complications as twice a day administration. The side effects were similar, with the exception of renal effects, which were somewhat more pronounced in once a day amikacin administration. Nevertheless, all the renal function alterations were transient and we observed no definitive renal insufficiency.